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Topic: Re: E. Downey (Read 10441 times)

Sklounion

Please,Does anyone have any information about the role of E. Downey, within the UK glass importer Vitrea?Who was he/she? From what date were Vitrea commissioning Downey to produce designs?Anything at all about this person, would be gratefully received,TIA,regards,Marcus

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Sklounion

Downey's designs were made by Sklarny Inwald and Spojene Ceske Sklarny. I would like to clarify whether Downey was designing free-lance for the Czechoslovakian companies, or whether the designs were licensed to those companies, by Vitrea/Downey. There seem to be similarities to the John Jenkins and Co Ltd/Inwald "Barolac" situation in the 1930s.TIA,Regards,Marcus

This name is ringing very faint bells with me. My mould-making colleague at Sowerbys used to talk about a pre-war designer (employee?, contractor?, consultant?) and I think the name MIGHT have been Downey. Any possible connection?

Adam D.

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Sklounion

Hi Adam,Between the wars and into the 1950s would be the right time-frame.There is a serious probability that Vitrea commissioned items from both UK and Czechoslovakian glass-works, so Downey may well have designed items made by Sowerby.Thanks very much for your assistance, much appreciated,Marcus

Sklounion

Vitrea (Merchants) LtdShowrooms at 12-16 Clerkenwell Road, London E.C.1Definitely still there in 1964. But when they started?

The Downey items have post-war numbers (some of them) but there is a vase with three swans to the base, inspired by European vase designs from Brockwitz and Inwald themselves, which looks very 1930s. It could also be, that Downey designed Inwald items that are now wrongly assumed to be from the Barolac range.

"Dr. Markovic said he had left Czechoslovakia in March, 1948, and could not say very much about events there since. He knew, however, that all non-Communist employees had been discharged. During the last twelve months, he had heard that sales departments had been divorced from the manufacturing side, the former now being divided into two separate departments, one (DUTA) being responsible for the home trade, and the other (VITREA) dealing with exports. The regional groupings were being abolished and individual works were now under direct control of the central organisation."PG&GTR Jan 1950 courtesy glass-study.com

Sklounion

Hi Frank,Not sure how this works then, as we know Skloexport (Glassexport) appeared in 1948. There does not appear to be any other organisation handling export, other than Jablonex. Certain small companies, (less than 50 employees) were still advertising in early 1948, in CGR, as exporting from the Jablonec region. Is Vitrea London, a wholly-owned Czechoslovakian subsidiary, in which case, why employ Downey as a designer? Do you have a pre-war gazetteer from PG and GTR, Frank, and is there any mention of Vitrea, pre-war?

Sklounion

Hi Frank,Possible that this is one and the same:Vitrea (Merchants) Ltd, registered company from 31/12/1926. Obviously the same company that was at 12 -16 Clerkenwell Rd. Cannot find whether or not there was a name change at some point, but will check this further.No name change shown as Companies House seem only to keep these for 20 years.Thanks and regards,Marcus